Crispy Spinach & Feta Fatayer Hand Pies 🥟🇱🇧

Description

Fluffy, golden little hand pies filled with lemony spinach, melty feta and herbs, perfect for mezze platters or grab and go snacks. 🧺

Hook
Make one easy olive oil dough, fold in a bright spinach and feta filling, and bake until the bottoms are crisp and tops are gorgeously golden. ✨

Ingredients

• Dough
• 🌾 All-purpose flour: 400 g (3⅓ cups / 14.1 oz)
• 💧 Warm water, about 38–40°C (100–104°F): 240 ml (1 cup / 8 fl oz)
• 🍯 Sugar: 8 g (2 tsp / 0.28 oz)
• 🧂 Fine salt: 6 g (1 tsp / 0.21 oz)
• 🧁 Instant dry yeast: 7 g (2¼ tsp / 0.25 oz)
• 🫒 Olive oil: 45 ml (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• Filling
• 🥬 Fresh spinach, finely chopped and squeezed dry: 250 g (about 5 packed cups / 8.8 oz)
• 🧅 Small onion, very finely diced: 60 g (½ cup / 2.1 oz)
• 🧀 Feta cheese, crumbled: 150 g (1 cup / 5.3 oz)
• 🍋 Fresh lemon juice: 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🌸 Ground sumac: 4 g (2 tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🧂 Fine salt: 2–3 g (½ tsp / 0.1 oz), to taste
• ⚫ Black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🫒 Olive oil: 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• Finish
• 🥚 Egg, beaten (for wash, optional): 1 small
• 🌿 Sesame seeds or nigella seeds, for sprinkling (optional): 5–10 g (1–2 tsp / 0.18–0.35 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Activate yeast
2. In a bowl whisk warm water with sugar and yeast. Let stand 5–10 min until foamy on top.
3. 2️⃣ Make the dough
4. In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add the foamy yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix with a spoon, then knead 6–8 min by hand (or 4–5 min in a mixer) until smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky. If needed, add a teaspoon of flour or water at a time to adjust. Shape into a ball, lightly oil, and place in a clean bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45–60 min.
5. 3️⃣ Prepare the filling
6. While the dough rises, sprinkle chopped spinach with a pinch of salt and let sit 5 min, then squeeze firmly to remove excess moisture. In a bowl combine spinach, onion, feta, lemon juice, sumac, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and taste; adjust salt and lemon. This filling should be tangy and well seasoned.
7. 4️⃣ Preheat and portion
8. Heat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment. Punch down the risen dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a small ball, cover lightly, and rest 5 min so they relax.
9. 5️⃣ Fill and shape
10. On a lightly floured surface roll each ball into a circle about 10–11 cm (4–4.5 in) wide. Place 1–1½ tbsp of filling in the center. Lift three sides of the circle to meet in the middle and pinch tightly, forming a sealed triangle. Make sure all seams are closed so the filling does not leak. Arrange on the tray with a little space between each.
11. 6️⃣ Egg wash and top
12. Brush the tops lightly with beaten egg (or a little olive oil if keeping vegan). Sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds if using.
13. 7️⃣ Bake
14. Bake at 200°C (392°F) for 16–18 min until deep golden on top and lightly browned on the bottoms. Rotate the tray once halfway for even color.
15. 8️⃣ Cool and serve
16. Let the fatayer cool on a rack for 10–15 min. Serve warm or at room temperature; they reheat well in a hot oven for a few minutes.

Total Time

⏱️ Prep: 30 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 18 min
😌 Rise/Rest: 45 min
🕒 Total: 93 min

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